# What's with brown meerschaum?



## Irfan (Dec 18, 2011)

I saw a meerschaum on Ahmet Govem's website that really spoke to me:

He didn't have it in stock, but he's making it for me, for $89.

What's with brown meerschaum? I take it it's something to do with the waxing process, not a naturally different color? Any opinions? I've always seen the "natural" cream color before. I probably prefer cream, in general, but the novelty of the brown appeals to me a bit. I suppose I could have asked Ahmet to make it either way, but I left it at brown. Be interesting to see what it looks like in the flesh!


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

I'm not sure why it's done like that. Usually one of the fun things about a mere is that over time it will turn that color on its own from the oils in the baccy. It's usually the sign of a well used, well cared for meerschaum.


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## Irfan (Dec 18, 2011)

Poneill272 said:


> I'm not sure why it's done like that. Usually one of the fun things about a mere is that over time it will turn that color on its own from the oils in the baccy. It's usually the sign of a well used, well cared for meerschaum.


Phil, yes, I've got a meer calabash that has turned brown nicely. I guess this one will also color, too, but from a brown base instead of a cream one.


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

Regardless, that's one nice looking meer.


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

It's beeswax.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Yeah, it's just colored beeswax. With a pipe like this, it gets lighter as the wax is absorbed, then darker again as it colors. Nice looking pipe!


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## Poneill272 (Oct 29, 2010)

MarkC said:


> Yeah, it's just colored beeswax. With a pipe like this, it gets lighter as the wax is absorbed, then darker again as it colors. Nice looking pipe!


Wow! Really cool!!


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

Coloring a Meer is a time and effort commitment if you want a truly beautiful colored Meer. A lot of people buy a Meer and are disappointed with how slowly one colors. I don't know how it started, but in the past few years there has been a sudden growth in waxed/colored Meers being sold. Now, one thing that CAN hurt a Meer in coloring is the oils in your hands...no one tells you to hold the Meer by the stem instead of the bowl for a while until it colors. These Wax coverings darken the pipe and protect it from your hands.

If you buy a waxed Meer it will lighten as you smoke it, but it will darken slowly. Meer is unpredictable. The bottom of the bowl and stem connector color first in most cases. There are coloring bowls (not my thing...I just like to let nature take its course).

I have found from the two waxed Meers that I have been given the wax can speed the process and make it more even.

A Meer is a long term marriage of pipe and smoker...enjoy it and it will slowly become more beautiful every time you smoke it.


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## Irfan (Dec 18, 2011)

Granger said:


> Now, one thing that CAN hurt a Meer in coloring is the oils in your hands...no one tells you to hold the Meer by the stem instead of the bowl for a while until it colors. These Wax coverings darken the pipe and protect it from your hands.


Long time ago, I had a Claw shaped meer. The talons of the claw worked quite well, they were the natural part of the bowl to hold, so I rarely touched the surface of the pipe. I think a few of the ornamental meers have a similar design feature. It was quite a flamboyant pipe to smoke in public, though, but a great smoker.


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## pffintuff (Apr 20, 2011)

I've seen them dyed different colors before, brown, green, red.
I prefer to color my own through smoking.


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